What intell should a real "fishing report" include?

[BrokeLoser]

Since some people feel like I was finger pointing with this thread aimed at them (you know who you are)...haha...I should add that I do read some quality reports here. (you know who you are)

Also, with regard to sharing hot spots. Have you noticed that some of the best fishermen...Iceman (Andy) and (Fiskadoro) Jim Day to name a couple generally have no problem sharing detailed information...ironic?

[MrM]

A fun story that goes with a picture is good in my book. Everyone enjoys a fun read. What you post is up to you. No matter what you do, you'll never please everyone; whether they reply and say so or not. Simple as that. Having that said, in the end its just about the . Catching is a bonus.

[BrokeLoser]

Originally Posted by MrM

A fun story that goes with a picture is good in my book. Everyone enjoys a fun read. What you post is up to you. No matter what you do, you'll never please everyone; whether they reply and say so or not. Simple as that. Having that said, in the end its just about the . Catching is a bonus.

I'm not arguing that at all...
I'm just saying that the idea of a "fishing report" should not become a posted photo followed by; 'Caught this fish in the Pacific Ocean somewhere.'

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by BrokeLoser

I'm just saying that the idea of a "fishing report" should not become a posted photo followed by; 'Caught this fish in the Pacific Ocean somewhere.'

.... and I'd say you are once again misinformed.

Information posts on how to rig, fish specific tackle, use your finder etc... are great and I personally love helping people giving them things they can try and showing new ways to do things.

Occasionally I'll be at a tackle store and someone will come up, say my name then say something like I really love your dropper loop rig you posted and have caught a ton of fish with it. I met guy at MDR that caught a 40+ pound halibut using a slow trolling rig I came up with and when he told me it made my day. That's what information posting and internet sharing is about, but it's not the same as posting a fish report.

Fish reports have one purpose in my book. It's simply to say there are fish around, get out there and find some fish.

You may think that's not enough but you got to remember that online posting is not the same as talking to your best buddy. It's not a private message or note. It's like a frigging billboard on the freeway. Everything you post here will be seen by hundreds of people, and bite information can end up on dozens of places online after a single post, so you need to realize that what you post can have a huge unintended impacts and honestly there are things you can and can not post.

Take hoop netting for instance. Say you come here and say hey I went to X rocks at these numbers and got a limit in two hours at slack tide. Sounds harmless right.

Say a hundred people see that, say ten of them go the next night and clean up, and then say they post thier catches on thier favorite boards. Next thing you know thousands of people will know about your spot, and it will be full of hoop-netters and divers every time you go out.

Rocks aren't fish. Rocks don't move!!

Everyone who goes to that spot and get's a bug is going to mark it on their GPS and if they do well there they will tell others and eventually when you go to hoop it there will be dozens if not a hundred guys trying to hoop it.

I've seen this first hand at several locations. So I know better then to post hoop locations. I'll post about how to rig or build nets, what floats I like even the best baits, tides and how often to pull your nets but I will not post where I hoop it's just something you should never put online, and I'm not going to show anyone where to hoop until I know they know that as well.

Seabass are equally problematic. They school up and can go incredibly wide open, which also means they can be dramatically overfished.

Back in like 2001 one boat saw squid on the surface in front of Rocky Point and then caught a big seabass over fifty pounds, and posted about it. The next day I was there and got a forty pounder in the fog. Around noon it cleared and there were maybe 30 boats around us, a bunch more posts went up, the next day there were a hundred and fifty boats by the end of the week at least 200 a day. Everyone got fish, I caught one every day I fished it. I posted several of them online, but in the end thousands of fish were caught, everyone with a crappy boat was out there, and it turned into total carnage.

We shared the info online with the best intentions and it turned into a slaughter, we fished them out, and I've never seen another seabass in that spot since then.

I've fished some epic bites since, but honestly I have not posted a single post about a wide open seabass bite since then. Once was enough for me.

I've put up a few posts about solo fish, usually early in the season before they start spawning, when they are hard to get, but that's it.

If you want to share some general report info, that's cool, great love it, but the details you want should not be posted online, especially for major bites. I think the more experience you get the more you will realize that. You just can't share all the details: location info, time, and other details about hot bites online. It always turns into a problem.

Just my take though, Jim

[467echo]

Ok, ok, I'll give him the info he wants. There are in LJ every month, every year, and the have been posts about them. What more do you need to know?

[jorluivil]

How about someone post info on a where the hot bites are and we'll see what that place looks like this weekend.

[ful-rac]

Fishdope $169 a year

Will tell you everything you need to know, then you dont have to deal with the jerks around here especially me, and you dont have to worry about people not posting up reports to your liking.

[dorado50]

Originally Posted by Fiskadoro

.... and I'd say you are once again misinformed.

Information posts on how to rig, fish specific tackle, use your finder etc... are great and I personally love helping people giving them things they can try and showing new ways to do things.

Occasionally I'll be at a tackle store and someone will come up, say my name then say something like I really love your dropper loop rig you posted and have caught a ton of fish with it. I met guy at MDR that caught a 40+ pound halibut using a slow trolling rig I came up with and when he told me it made my day. That's what information posting and internet sharing is about, but it's not the same as posting a fish report.

Fish reports have one purpose in my book. It's simply to say there are fish around, get out there and find some fish.

You may think that's not enough but you got to remember that online posting is not the same as talking to your best buddy. It's not a private message or note. It's like a frigging billboard on the freeway. Everything you post here will be seen by hundreds of people, and bite information can end up on dozens of places online after a single post, so you need to realize that what you post can have a huge unintended impacts and honestly there are things you can and can not post.

Take hoop netting for instance. Say you come here and say hey I went to X rocks at these numbers and got a limit in two hours at slack tide. Sounds harmless right.

Say a hundred people see that, say ten of them go the next night and clean up, and then say they post thier catches on thier favorite boards. Next thing you know thousands of people will know about your spot, and it will be full of hoop-netters and divers every time you go out.

Rocks aren't fish. Rocks don't move!!

Everyone who goes to that spot and get's a bug is going to mark it on their GPS and if they do well there they will tell others and eventually when you go to hoop it there will be dozens if not a hundred guys trying to hoop it.

I've seen this first hand at several locations. So I know better then to post hoop locations. I'll post about how to rig or build nets, what floats I like even the best baits, tides and how often to pull your nets but I will not post where I hoop it's just something you should never put online, and I'm not going to show anyone where to hoop until I know they know that as well.

Seabass are equally problematic. They school up and can go incredibly wide open, which also means they can be dramatically overfished.

Back in like 2001 one boat saw squid on the surface in front of Rocky Point and then caught a big seabass over fifty pounds, and posted about it. The next day I was there and got a forty pounder in the fog. Around noon it cleared and there were maybe 30 boats around us, a bunch more posts went up, the next day there were a hundred and fifty boats by the end of the week at least 200 a day. Everyone got fish, I caught one every day I fished it. I posted several of them online, but in the end thousands of fish were caught, everyone with a crappy boat was out there, and it turned into total carnage.

We shared the info online with the best intentions and it turned into a slaughter, we fished them out, and I've never seen another seabass in that spot since then.

I've fished some epic bites since, but honestly I have not posted a single post about a wide open seabass bite since then. Once was enough for me.

I've put up a few posts about solo fish, usually early in the season before they start spawning, when they are hard to get, but that's it.

If you want to share some general report info, that's cool, great love it, but the details you want should not be posted online, especially for major bites. I think the more experience you get the more you will realize that. You just can't share all the details: location info, time, and other details about hot bites online. It always turns into a problem.

Just my take though, Jim

Likely the best and post I've read from you Jim...well stated,right on bro!

[alanw]

I prefer to find good fishing spots from being on the water, talking to other kayakers, dropping by the local tackle shop, etc.. than on the fishing report forums.

As for this thread, I see good in both arguments.

Hot bites/spots shouldn't be posted on the net, to protect the fisheries.

Reports should at least contain some info.. general location on the earth, type of bait and method used, general conditions.

These are things everyone would consider relevant information, without giving specifics. There are some that drive many miles to fish and I'm sure they would appreciate at least some info on current conditions.

Without info the posts are just a picture followed by a dozen chest-bumps and butt-slaps.

I do agree there should be another forum just for showing off your catch.

[ful-rac]

Originally Posted by MrM

A fun story that goes with a picture is good in my book. Everyone enjoys a fun read. What you post is up to you. No matter what you do, you'll never please everyone; whether they reply and say so or not. Simple as that. Having that said, in the end its just about the . Catching is a bonus.

Right on MrM!

It's not all about catching fish, knowing the particular depth and temp, location... if it was a lot of us would have quit years ago. It's mostly about having fun...and we do have a lot of fun!

[beef78]

A photo should be included, but no measuring device so there is no dispute of how heavy/long the fish actually is.
if there are any recognizable landmarks in the back of the photo, they should be blacked out.
also, have a backup rod ready with a decoy bait/lure to hook perfectly into the fishes upper lip to throw off people trying to figure out your secret bait.
An overestimate of the approximate size and weight should be included.
Also, an approximate penis size. Remember that actual length is calculated by multiplying measured length by 1.4 to eliminate human error and parralax.

[StinkyMatt]

Is it December?

I thought these little things popped up during winter when fishing is slower.





My two cents.

Do not tell another fisherman what to do and what to post. I usually post up info if I get lucky. However, do not tell me what I must include. Individual's choice. As soon as you tell me I can't take barracuda, guess what I'm gonna keep 40 of them!


Just accept that we are going to disagree on many things.



We all come from different angles:

there rookies that just don't know any better.

There are experienced guys that just don't need the hassle

There are jerks that like to mess with people.

There are pros who's paycheck depends on the info/ conditions/ crowds out there.





Just fish and enjoy the posts that do make it online.




Now, who has the numbers on that BSB bite in LJ?

[Baja_Traveler]

I especially like the pictures with the photoshopped twizzled out backgrounds.

Gives me an idea what it must be like to fish on drugs.

I used to post up detailed fishing reports, until I saw the impact first hand.

10 days straight fishing last fall with just me and Rob on the water. Hardly any other kayaks and boats out there except for a couple loners. We had a pretty steady bite all to ourselves.

We made some phone calls and some texts to just a few people we know could keep it quiet. After almost two weeks of steady reels peeling, an unnamed kayaker landed two solid trophy fish. He went home, posted it up by 4pm and the post had 1,000 views by the morning. When I launched the next morning, there were 25 kayaks, and no less than 15 boats on the grounds.

Any thread with "LJ" in the post will have 1,000 views in 24 hours. Think about who is watching that forum. If you think its just a few kayakers viewing it a bunch of times, you haven't been paying attention.

Hell, I was fishing when the 3 Sea Bass in 2 hours post went up and within 15 minutes I received 4 phone calls and 3 text messages about the bite.

Look at how many WSB are getting killed up north
The same thing happened on the Iron bite this January. Half a hundred kayaks throwing irons 10 feet from each other.

The internet is killing the fishery. I post my fish weeks after they are caught, and I only post the ones that have a "story" or "comedic value" to them.

All the real fish reports happen on the phone and through text messages within a tight circle of fisherman who have earned a mutual respect from one another because they have showed the capability to find their own info. It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" relationship. Not a bunch of parasitic people who only care to paddle out when there is a high % chance of catching a fish.

[monkeyfishturds]

Originally Posted by Drake

I used to post up detailed fishing reports, until I saw the impact first hand.

10 days straight fishing last fall with just me and Rob on the water. Hardly any other kayaks and boats out there except for a couple loners. We had a pretty steady bite all to ourselves.

We made some phone calls and some texts to just a few people we know could keep it quiet. After almost two weeks of steady reels peeling, an unnamed kayaker landed two solid trophy fish. He went home, posted it up by 4pm and the post had 1,000 views by the morning. When I launched the next morning, there were 25 kayaks, and no less than 15 boats on the grounds.

Any thread with "LJ" in the post will have 1,000 views in 24 hours. Think about who is watching that forum. If you think its just a few kayakers viewing it a bunch of times, you haven't been paying attention.

Hell, I was fishing when the 3 Sea Bass in 2 hours post went up and within 15 minutes I received 4 phone calls and 3 text messages about the bite.

Look at how many WSB are getting killed up north
The same thing happened on the Iron bite this January. Half a hundred kayaks throwing irons 10 feet from each other.

The internet is killing the fishery. I post my fish weeks after they are caught, and I only post the ones that have a "story" or "comedic value" to them.

All the real fish reports happen on the phone and through text messages within a tight circle of fisherman who have earned a mutual respect from one another because they have showed the capability to find their own info. It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" relationship. Not a bunch of parasitic people who only care to paddle out when there is a high % chance of catching a fish.

Well said, I wish everyone realized this.

[BrokeLoser]

Originally Posted by Drake

I used to post up detailed fishing reports, until I saw the impact first hand.

10 days straight fishing last fall with just me and Rob on the water. Hardly any other kayaks and boats out there except for a couple loners. We had a pretty steady bite all to ourselves.

We made some phone calls and some texts to just a few people we know could keep it quiet. After almost two weeks of steady reels peeling, an unnamed kayaker landed two solid trophy fish. He went home, posted it up by 4pm and the post had 1,000 views by the morning. When I launched the next morning, there were 25 kayaks, and no less than 15 boats on the grounds.

Any thread with "LJ" in the post will have 1,000 views in 24 hours. Think about who is watching that forum. If you think its just a few kayakers viewing it a bunch of times, you haven't been paying attention.

Hell, I was fishing when the 3 Sea Bass in 2 hours post went up and within 15 minutes I received 4 phone calls and 3 text messages about the bite.

Look at how many WSB are getting killed up north
The same thing happened on the Iron bite this January. Half a hundred kayaks throwing irons 10 feet from each other.

The internet is killing the fishery. I post my fish weeks after they are caught, and I only post the ones that have a "story" or "comedic value" to them.

All the real fish reports happen on the phone and through text messages within a tight circle of fisherman who have earned a mutual respect from one another because they have showed the capability to find their own info. It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" relationship. Not a bunch of parasitic people who only care to paddle out when there is a high % chance of catching a fish.

Great reasons to never post a fishing report Drake...don't blame ya a bit.

[ericko]

So what do i need to bring on a mothership trip

I need help all i ever see is pictures of REALLY BIG fish but what are they eating ,how warm is the water at 5ft or is it 65ft.....can anybody pretty please just give me the fishing rod with a fish on it so that i can real it in....

REALLY is that what you want dont think so ...Broke there are plenty of us that will show you first hand what your asking but you need to get on the water with us sewer crew/lollipop boys thats all ful-rac and others are saying...hell some live out your way and might even car pool...

peace out

[BrokeLoser]

Guys, I hate to break it to you but we aren't the only ones catching fish and reporting it on a website...the information is out there. We all know fish move around and today's hot hole may not not yield a return tomorrow.
I just find it odd that a fishing report has become almost nothing like a report at all...or maybe I got it all wrong and need to look up the definition of report...or maybe it's just that the name of the forum is wrong, "Fishing Reports"....or...sheesh, now I'm getting all semantic.

Their is nothing confusing to me about it...if you're gonna go through the trouble of posting a photo and half-ass report in a forum titled "Fishing Reports" shouldn't it have some real "report" as we know it value? Or, should it be posted in another forum?

[ful-rac]

JIM DAY!!!!!!!

did we just have another "elite" moment!?

[dorado50]

Originally Posted by BrokeLoser

Also, with regard to sharing hot spots. Have you noticed that some of the best fishermen...Iceman (Andy) and (Fiskadoro) Jim Day to name a couple generally have no problem sharing detailed information...ironic?

Geez....you haven't noticed that some(most) of the other best kayak fisherman no longer share or contribute on this site?. I wonder why?

However, I must say the entertainment value of this forum is through the roof the last couple of years!